ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
Open Access
DIRECT FROM U.S. EPA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms and Public Health: Using Tools From the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network to Reduce Exposure
John M. Johnston, DrPH
Blake Schaeffer, PhD
Editor’s Note: The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we have partnered with the Oce of Research and Development (ORD) within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to publish two columns a year in the Journal . ORD is the scientific research arm of U.S. EPA. ORD conducts the research for U.S. EPA that provides the foundation for credible decision-making to safeguard human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants. In these columns, authors from ORD will share insights and information about the research being conducted on pressing environmental health issues. The conclusions in these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the ocial position of U.S. EPA. Dr. John Johnston is a supervisory ecologist at ORD within U.S. EPA. His research focuses on the interface of human and ecosystem health in water resources. Dr. Blake Schaeer also works at ORD within U.S. EPA. His research focuses on the applied use of satellite and remote sensing technology to monitor water quality.
The Cyanobacteria Assessment Network The Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) project—a collaboration between U.S. EPA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Geological Survey—was launched in 2015 to develop an early warning indicator system to detect cyanobacterial blooms (U.S. EPA, 2023). Using satellite data, the mission of CyAN is to support environmental manage- ment and public use of U.S. lakes and estu- aries by providing a useful and accessible approach to detect and quantify algal blooms and related water quality in U.S. freshwater systems (Photo 1). In 2019, U.S. EPA and federal partners launched an easy-to-use mobile phone appli- cation that provides daily CyAN satellite data to the public (Schaeer et al., 2018; U.S. EPA, 2023). Although limited to the Android operating system, the CyAN project delivered Photo 1. Using Sentinel-3 satellite data, the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network supports environmental management and public use of U.S. lakes and estuaries by providing a useful and accessible approach to detect and quantify cyanobacterial blooms and related water qual- ity in U.S. freshwater systems. Photo courtesy of the European Space Agency.
F reshwater cyanobacteria are ubiqui- tous in all lakes and reservoirs. Excess growth of cyanobacteria, however, re- sults in harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) that can include toxins that pose risks to humans, pets, and livestock, and impair drinking water sources. The importance of preventing harmful exposures to cyanoHABs is recognized globally by the World Health Organization via the promotion of safe water through mitigation of health hazards includ- ing cyanobacteria (Chorus & Welker, 2021)
and the United Nations (2023) through the Sustainable Development Goal 6 that is fo- cused on clean water for all and includes the need for forecasting HABs. The public and professionals who man- age drinking water supplies and recreational waters need tools to identify and track devel- oping cyanoHABs quickly. In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), in collaboration with other federal agen- cies, has developed approaches for identifying, modeling, and forecasting cyanoHABs.
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Volume 86 • Number 9
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